Like Ja Morant, Kobe Bryant had a setback off of the court and became a villain in the eyes of much of the public.
However, Kobe would minimize the reputational impact of what did or didn't happen in Colorado by having an all-time great career.
Ja Morant has a long way to go before he can do that.
But he just got a new tattoo of Kobe, so maybe the Laker great's arc is on his mind.